


a man and his cat

by foreverautumn



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cat Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Eren freaking out a lot, Fluff, Levi not freaking out, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-04-04 04:04:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4124952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverautumn/pseuds/foreverautumn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Mikasa,” Eren grunts, fingers tightening further. Yes, thank god he’s on the phone already, the man won’t have time to–</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>“There’s a naked man in my living room.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. a man and his cat

**Author's Note:**

> note: levi is a cat

Eren yawns, letting one of his hands fall down next to his chair so that his cat can rub against it. He peeks down as he feels a soft cheek slide against the back of his hand, smiling slightly as Levi glances up at him. His long tail is curved into a question mark, and he gazes at Eren for a moment longer before walking away, disappearing into the next room.

Eren chuckles and stands up, stretching. He’s gotten better at reading Levi bit by bit, and it’s mind-boggling that he’s had the cat for a year now. His neighbor Hanji had shown up at Eren’s door on Christmas Eve, the squirming cat bundled up in a blanket in her arms. After some cajoling and a whole lot of guilt-tripping (he couldn’t let Hanji just put the poor thing back in the streets… even if it had looked like it would kill the both of them once it’d figured out how to unearth its paws from the blanket), Eren had found himself with a new companion.

Initially Eren had figured he would provide a temporary home for the creature. The cat certainly hadn’t seemed happy with its new abode, often hiding underneath the couch (or the bed, or the dresser, or the table) whenever Eren would enter a room.

Hanji had insisted the poor cat was simply spooked. She had visited on more than one occasion, and Eren tried not to feel embarrassed as he’d watched her crawl around on the floor on all fours, cooing after the hissing cat.

After one particular visit, in which she’d managed to drag the cat out from under a dresser, she’d swung it around in her arms, whooping excitedly. Eren had run over in alarm after seeing the distress on the cat’s face, gently prying it from Hanji’s arms and holding it securely against his chest.

“You’re scaring him,” Eren had said, eyebrows narrowing. “It,” he’d added after a moment, unsure.

Hanji’s grin had stretched her whole face. “He’s a boy! Have you named him yet, by the way?”

“No,” Eren had replied thoughtfully, absentmindedly stroking at the soft fur of the nameless cat in his arms. He’d almost jumped in alarm as the cat started sort of… vibrating.

Hanji had explained in between squeals of laughter that the cat was purring, and that it must really like Eren. He’d glanced down skeptically, meeting the eyes of his reluctant pet. The purrs hadn’t stopped, and Eren hadn’t realized he’d been smiling until Hanji unnecessarily commented on it.

After that, Eren hadn’t really considered giving the cat away, and even ended up giving it a proper name a few days later.

Eren’s gotten ridiculously attached to Levi, and has spent more money than he’d like to admit on cat beds and interactive toys and self-filling water bowls. Despite his attempts at giving Levi only the best, the cat turns his nose up at such things, preferring to sleep on Eren’s bed while he’s at work (the patch of black fur gives him away) and to play with cardboard boxes and rubber bands (usually when Eren’s in another room, of course).

For some reason, this makes him even fonder of Levi, an emotion he attempts to convey by scooping Levi up and settling him in his lap. Even though Levi had appeared to like being in Eren’s arms the day of The Rescue, he always jumps away when Eren tries to pick him up. They seem to find an acceptable balance when Levi creeps back ten minutes later and sits in front of the couch, tail flicking. Eren keeps his eyes trained to his book (or his laptop, or the television), only glancing to the side once he feels Levi curl into a ball beside him. Some nights Levi will even rest the side of his face against Eren’s leg, and Eren will scratch the top of his head the way he likes.

Basically, Eren is completely whipped. He’d never thought he would end up being one of those crazy cat people, but he’d even bought one of those Christmas stockings for cats at the store and presented it to Levi two days ago. (Naturally, Levi had been completely disinterested in all of the toys inside, though he did bite off the price tag - after Eren had gone to bed, that is.)

Eren kicks aside one of the neglected jingly balls as he makes his way over to the tree. It’s only after he pulls the plug from the wall that he notices the eyes watching him from underneath the tree.

“Come out from there,” Eren says, squatting down and reaching his hand out. Levi stares at him, unimpressed.

Eren frowns, shifting a little. “I know you’re going to bite the tree again.”

Levi stares some more, then slowly lies down, even going so far as to shut his eyes. Eren raises an eyebrow, even as his heart warms at the sight. “You’re not fooling anyone, Levi.”

Still, he… he can’t yank Levi out from under the tree, it would be too mean. Eren sighs, then stands back up. He shuffles over toward the hallway, turning back to see Levi still lying innocently under the tree. Eren calls out as he makes his way toward his bedroom, “I’m not going to clean up your vomit, so you better be a good boy!”

Eren leaves his bedroom door open, as always, but Levi doesn’t come in, even after Eren’s tucked in bed - not that he usually does. Eren smiles sleepily as he thinks about playing around with Levi tomorrow and maybe trying to get some cute pictures of him for Christmas. Mikasa will probably want to come over, so she can get a shot of Levi and himself together, perhaps… if Levi will stay in his lap for at least one or two seconds.

Eren pretends he doesn’t hear the soft crunch of a tree branch being bitten, rolling over onto his side and bringing the blanket up to his chin. He sure is lucky to have such a wonderful companion.

–

One of Eren’s least favorite things is being woken up in the morning. He’s fine with the whole waking up part - his own internal clock always has him waking up five minutes before his alarm is set to go off - but if anyone or anything attempts to wake him, he will be in a fog for way longer than is probably normal.

So naturally, he’s woken up by his phone ringing shrilly on his bedside table. Eren almost believes he’s imagining the sound, because who would dare call to wake him up on Christmas morning, of all days, but then it starts ringing again.

Eren sits up blearily, jabbing blindly at the screen as his eyes are still closed. He slumps sideways onto his pillow as he croaks into the phone, “Hello?”

Mikasa. Of course it’s Mikasa.

He listens to her babbling (well, Mikasa never really babbles, but Eren has no recollection of anything she’s saying two moments after she’s said it) silently for some time, then jerks violently when she practically shouts his name.

Fuck, she knows him too well.

“I’m awake,” he lies, because he’s sort of sure he’s still asleep. She starts talking again, and Eren forces his eyes open, blinking a few times before shifting to sit up.

“You should eat breakfast, Eren.”

Ah, the first thing Mikasa’s said that hasn’t flown right out of his mind. That probably means that she’s right.

“Yeah, I’m going to do that now,” he says, standing up and shuffling pathetically along toward the hallway. It’s a good thing he lives alone.

Mikasa is going on about something, probably about what time she should come over, but Eren is too busy thinking about what he’s going to make for breakfast. He’s pretty fucking hungry, now that she’s brought it up.

He isn’t single-minded enough, however, to miss the blatantly naked man sitting under the Christmas tree.

Eren freezes in the middle of his living room, blood running cold. His fingers tighten around the phone as the man tilts his head up just the slightest bit, eyes meeting Eren’s.

_Oh god._

This is how his life is going to end - killed by a naked stranger in his own home on Christmas day.

The man just looks at Eren for now, knees pulled up and arms wrapped tightly around them. His chin is nudged right into the dip between his legs, and he looks somewhat… miserable. Like he's the one who has to deal with a naked intruder.

“Mikasa,” Eren grunts, fingers tightening further. Yes, thank god he’s on the phone already, the man won’t have time to–

“What is it?”

“There’s a naked man in my living room.”

The line is silent.

The man blinks once, twice. Still he makes no move to do anything.

“Seriously, Eren?” Mikasa mutters, sounding peeved. “Okay, that’s more than I needed to know.”

“Huh?” Eren asks, distracted by the man tilting his head to the side slightly, resting his cheek on one knee. His eyes are still right on Eren, and it’s terribly unnerving.

“I do not need those visuals,” Mikasa continues, and Eren’s brows furrow, trying to keep up with what she’s saying and deal with the way his heart is currently trying to climb out of his throat.

“Well, finish up with… whatever’s going on there.”

Eren makes a sound of alarm - well, he tries to, but nothing comes out of his mouth.

“I’ll call you later. On second thought, you just call me whenever.”

“Wait, I–”

“Bye, Eren.”

Eren feels his heart sink, has she honestly just–?

“Mikasa?”

His strangled plea receives no response.

The man shifts his head a little, dark hair falling over his forehead.

Why the hell is he sitting there, acting so innocent? Eren wracks his brain wildly, trying to remember if he’d consumed an exorbitant amount of alcohol last night, or if he’d been in a situation where he could’ve accidentally been drugged, but he can’t come up with anything. In fact, he remembers quite clearly saying good night to Levi and heading straight to bed.

Wait.

Eren feels his skin prickle uncomfortably.

Levi. What if something’s happened to him?

“Levi?” he whispers frantically, eyes darting around the room. Levi hates being held, but Eren is prepared to snatch him up and run from the apartment as soon as he catches sight of him. Luckily this intruder seems a little weird, even aside from the obvious not-wearing-any-clothes thing.

He inches sideways, heart thundering in his chest as he calls out Levi’s name again.

Eren almost jumps three feet in the air when the man shifts beneath the tree. His eyes look bright, interested, and Eren’s hands scrabble uselessly against the wall as he gasps in a panic, “Levi!” He won’t leave Levi behind, not with this madman– this madman who is unfurling his legs and starting to stand up–

“Jesus, what the–!” Eren’s voice cracks as he forces his gaze away from the newly exposed skin. He whirls around and blindly races to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. There’s no way he could have made it to the front door before the intruder.

And seriously, _why the fuck isn’t he wearing any clothes_? What the fuck is he, the Bare-ass Bandit?

Eren shakes his head, placing a hand over his racing heart. He has to figure something out.

He could call the police, but would they believe his tale? Well, he’d definitely have to leave out the part about the intruder being naked, that’s for sure… but to Eren, that kind of adds to the urgency of the situation.

Shit.

Levi’s still out there.

Eren can’t abandon him. And he certainly can’t leave him out there to fend for himself until the police potentially get here. He wonders absentmindedly how many officers are working on Christmas before deciding that’s really not the point.

The point is, he has to go back out there. He must outsmart this… man. Intruder. Freak.

Eren closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before bellowing, “Levi!”

He hopes desperately that the cat will come. _Please, please come, then I can grab you and jump out of the window and maybe land on a bush or something–_

He takes another deep breath before turning around, a trembling hand wrapped around the doorknob. _Please, please–_

When he swings open the door, he’s unable to hold back a blood-curdling scream. Right there before him is– the fucking– _intruder_ , the Buck-ass Bandit himself, and Eren’s frozen, another scream caught in his throat as the man leans forward, presses his forehead against Eren’s shoulder and–

Eren’s eyes squeeze shut, mind racing - there’s so much he’d wanted to do with his life, but this, this is how it’s going to end. He waits for the killing strike, some kind of knife, maybe, this guy looks like he would be a knife person, but then, where would he keep it if he has no clothes?

His eyes slowly creak open when a familiar sound reaches his ears.

Some kind of… vibration. A content hum.

It’s…

It’s coming from the man.

The naked man who’s leaning against Eren and rubbing his face into his shoulder.

“L-Levi,” Eren whimpers, the only word left in his vocabulary at this point, and–

The man moves just slightly and tilts his head back, eyelashes fluttering beneath his dark hair as he gazes up at Eren, and _oh–_

“Levi,” he repeats.

A blink, a head tilt to the side, and Eren could almost laugh, almost cry, because well.

He’s obviously lost his mind.

There are a few things he could do. He could try to assess this situation, as brain-breaking as it would probably be. He could still call the police, or Mikasa, or throw the man back and run and jump out the window.

But all he really wants to do is go back to sleep.

Yes.

This is all just a dream. A vivid one, as he can count each of the man’s dark eyelashes and see the flecks of color in each eye, eyes that resemble Levi’s–

Eren feels faint.

Yes, going back to sleep is the only option.

Actually, it’s going to be taken out of his hands anyway. The fuzzy, light feeling in his head and the whooshing in his chest is getting to be too much, and he knows a few moments before it happens that he’s going to pass out.

He only hopes that when he regains consciousness, things will make more sense.

–

He wakes up to the familiar feeling of something resting on his leg, but a quick glance down has Eren almost passing out again.

Needless to say, things are not making any more sense now than they had earlier. And, as a soft sigh warms his thigh and sends a strange jolt through his belly, Eren thinks they may never make sense again.


	2. cat man do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: levi is (still) a cat

“Levi is a cat.”

Eren repeats the words over and over to himself as he paces the length of the room. He knows them to be true, and yet–

He glances to the side, where the very decidedly not-cat Levi is sitting curled up on the floor. He’s been watching Eren pace with interest.

Eren can’t look at him too long, the sight of all that bare (very human) skin setting his face aflame.

“Clothes,” he blurts suddenly.

Of course, why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? He rushes over to his dresser, blindly grabbing the first sweater and pair of sweatpants he sees. His fingers linger over his boxers before he grabs a pair from the bottom of the drawer.

Eren whirls around with purpose, ready to tackle this problem head on.

Levi blinks slowly at him from the floor.

Eren breaks into a cold sweat.

How is he going to get Levi into these clothes?

“L-Levi,” he stutters.

Levi tilts his head up at his name. _Levi is a cat_ , he thinks in a panic, but it doesn’t help. Eren holds the clothes out like a shield. “Here.”

As expected, Levi doesn’t move.

Eren wiggles his hands, like that will somehow make the foreign clothes appear more appealing. “You must be cold,” he tries, taking a tiny step closer.

_Please put them on_ , Eren pleads silently. He has a feeling this whole situation would feel a lot less intimidating if Levi were wearing clothes.

He swallows. Is he going to have to… dress Levi?

He briefly considers it.

Very briefly.

He turns, throwing the pile of clothes on the bed. After a quick run to the bathroom, he returns with his bathrobe.

“Levi,” he says firmly. “Come here.”

This usually never works, but after a few moments of consideration, Levi unfurls his legs - Eren pointedly stares at the ceiling - and approaches.

“O-okay!” Eren squeaks, putting a hand up when Levi gets a little too close.

It’s definitely not the time for such a thought, but really, Levi’s eyes do look just the same.

Eren coughs. “I’m going to… put this on you.” Levi doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t run away, either. Eren takes a deep breath, reaching out a tentative hand. Levi’s skin is cool beneath his fingertips.

He casts a worried glance to Levi’s face, but he hasn’t reacted in any way. Still maintaining eye contact, Eren slowly tugs Levi’s arm upward and away from his body.

Eren carefully slips one arm of the robe onto Levi, then the other just the same. Levi remains still the whole time, which he is thankful for. He keeps his gaze glued to Levi’s chin as he slowly and carefully knots the front of the robe, heart racing in his chest all the while.

“There,” he breathes nervously, crossing his arms.

Levi looks down at himself, now donned in Eren’s old robe. He doesn’t appear ready to tear it off, at least. Eren feels strangely accomplished.

Levi raises one hand slowly, making Eren’s breath catch. But he only gently runs his fingers along the dangling belt from the robe, and– Eren can’t help but laugh, soft and short. Levi looks back up at him curiously.

_Levi is a cat_ , he reminds himself.

Whatever that means, anymore.

–

Eren sighs, placing his phone to the side. He’s been attempting to type out a message to Mikasa for the past ten minutes, but he hasn’t had any luck figuring out what to say. There have been more than a few aborted drafts, none of which came close to explaining anything at all.

He glances down the hall. Levi still hasn’t emerged.

Eren doesn’t know what he’s doing in the bedroom, but he welcomes having some space to think things over.

He flops backward on the couch, sighing again.

Who is he kidding? Having time to think hasn’t helped. In fact, it might have made things even worse.

There had been a tiny part of him that still considered calling the police and having Levi arrested as an intruder, but when he’d seriously thought about it, the guilt had been too much to bear. It’s still Levi, after all, even though he’s–

Eren throws an arm over his eyes. People don’t usually go insane overnight, do they? But then again, people don’t usually wake up to find their cats have mysteriously turned into humans, either.

His arm slides away, hand eventually dangling off the side of the couch. On reflex he wiggles his fingers a bit, like Levi might come running, and–

Shit.

Eren scrunches his eyes shut tightly. What the hell is he supposed to do?

With a huff, he sits back up properly again, grabbing his phone. He quickly types out a message to Mikasa, then sends it off. _‘Sorry but can we hang out tomorrow?? Merry xmas btw :D’_

She’s probably envisioning all kinds of indecent scenarios. It’s enough to make his whole body burn, but honestly, letting her believe he’d had a wild night with some guy is preferable to explaining his current state of affairs.

His phone buzzes only a few moments later. _‘Nothing says xmas miracle like a hot naked man in your living room. You must have been really good this year.’_

Eren tries not to whimper as he covers his face with one hand. “He’s not hot,” he says aloud, which only makes his face burn hotter. He’s– Levi, even if he isn’t a cat anymore, he’s Levi–

With a muffled groan, he tosses his phone on the table beside him. That text doesn’t deserve an answer.

He’s so disoriented he almost doesn’t notice the couch dipping beside him. A startled gasp gets caught in his throat as he whips his head around to find Levi sitting there.

“What are you doing?” he asks stupidly, like he’s going to receive an answer. Levi just shifts a bit, and Eren can’t help but notice his robe falling open a little. He looks away quickly, eyes finding his phone. _Nothing says xmas miracle–_ Eren whimpers, closing his eyes and forcing himself to take a deep breath.

He thinks he might hear Levi make a quiet sound, but a look towards him shows no indication he’d done anything. Eren is strangely reminded of all the times he and Levi have shared couch space in the past. There’s something glaringly different about this time, which can be summed up by the near heart attack Levi’s slightly bared shoulder is causing him.

He can’t exactly ask Levi to fix it himself, but–

He grits his teeth, running his hands over his face a few times. It doesn’t help; Levi’s shoulder is still visible, and now he has his head cocked to the side as if to ask what the hell Eren’s doing.

Very cautiously Eren reaches over to readjust the robe. Levi watches him wordlessly, though his gaze leaves Eren’s throat feeling a little dry. This is stupid, he shouldn’t be so wary around Levi just because he’s now–

Eren freezes, fingers still on the robe as Levi’s nose crinkles. He can do nothing but watch in amazement as Levi’s mouth opens in a wide yawn, eyes scrunching shut just like when he’d been a cat. _Cute_ is the only word in his mind, but Eren isn’t sure whether it’s aimed at cat Levi or very specifically this human Levi.

Shit. When had he become at ease enough to refer to him as human Levi?

Also, why hasn’t he pulled his hand back yet?

Eren rectifies this quickly, letting out an awkward cough while he’s at it. _Smooth_ , he thinks to himself, then wonders why he cares about being smooth around Levi at all. It’s not like–

Ah.

Eren is pretty sure he’s found the reason for all of this happening to him. It must be hell, or some version of it, as Levi gracefully flops (as gracefully as one can, anyway) to his side and rests his head on Eren’s lap.

Yes, this most certainly must be hell. He doesn’t know what he’s done in life to deserve this, but it must be some sort of punishment.

Or maybe it’s a test. One he’s probably already failed, since he’s eyeing Levi’s dark hair and considering running his fingers through it.

It’s not weird, he tries to convince himself, even as he wishes to find the nearest hole to bury himself in. He always pets Levi when he does this. So why does this feel so… illicit?

He tears his gaze away from his own trembling hand to see Levi’s feet curled up near the end of the couch, one thigh more exposed than the other from the way the robe is riding–

Eren quickly brings his gaze back to Levi’s head in his lap. His heart is beating so hard in his chest it’s near unbearable.

And yet, just as with normal cat Levi, Eren can’t bring himself to make him move.

He lets out a shaky sigh. “You just do what you want, huh? Just like always.”

It had always seemed normal to talk to Levi before, it doesn’t have to be strange now, does it? Besides, what else is there to do, aside from hyperventilating and dying here on the couch?

Eren lets out a sigh. “I wonder what you think about all this… not that I ever know what you’re thinking.” He smiles a little. Levi doesn’t answer - can’t. Eren shouldn’t feel disappointed.

“I guess we’re stuck like this for awhile.” He taps his fingers, which seem to be getting closer to Levi all the while. “You’re taking it in stride, though. That’s how you handle most things… well, either that or you hide under the bed.” Eren smiles again, imagining how ludicrous it would be to watch Levi vanish under the bed now.

His heart seems a little less likely to burst out of his chest the longer he talks, so maybe this is a good thing. Well, none of this is good, because something is clearly wrong, with either his head or the world, but Eren’s stuck here with his not-cat falling asleep in his lap, and all he really wants to do it touch him.

And so he does, his hand seemingly moving on its own to rest against the soft strands of Levi’s hair. A few seconds pass where Eren holds his breath, heart thumping, but nothing happens; he doesn’t drop dead, Levi doesn’t attack him, and frankly, it’s kind of nice.

Eren slowly runs his fingers back and forth, smoothing the hair at Levi’s temple. There’s a strange feeling welling in his chest, but he couldn’t be more confused over what it is.

Levi’s eyes remain closed, but he tilts his head into Eren’s caress when he brushes a certain spot. Eren hesitates for a moment before continuing, growing more sure with each movement.

This isn’t so bad. This is just like normal, or as normal as it can be. There’s still something in Eren’s mind blocking any attempts to think about the future, which is probably a defense mechanism, but Eren doesn’t feel too worried about it, somehow. He’d made a decision to take care of Levi, and he doesn’t intend to go back on that promise now.

“You’re still you,” Eren murmurs, still gently petting Levi’s hair.

As if to prove it, the low, familiar vibration of Levi’s purr reaches his ears. For some reason, it makes Eren’s face feel a little warm, but– there’s also a warmth in his chest, right there with that weird confusing feeling.

Levi’s still Levi, even if he isn’t _quite_ a cat anymore. That thought is soothing, somehow.

Before long, Eren finds his eyelids growing heavy. Levi’s purrs have faded as he’s fallen asleep, and Eren’s fingers have grown slower and slower with each pass through dark hair.

As gently as he can, Eren turns himself to the side, resting his head on the pillow in the corner of the couch. He just means to rest his eyes, but he’s asleep in no time.

–

Eren wakes with a start. He’d felt like he’d been about to fall, but when he opens his eyes, he finds he is still on the couch. Things are much different from how he last remembers them being, however.

For one, the Christmas lights that he had set on a timer have come on. The soft light reflects along the ceiling, and, more notably, in Levi’s eyes.

Which he can see quite clearly, as Levi is stretched out over him, hands planted firmly on either side of Eren’s head.

His heart is stuck somewhere in his throat, breaths coming out in short stutters. He’s not awake enough to deal with this, would actually _never_ be awake enough to deal with this. Eren’s fingers twitch uselessly at his sides, skin hot, blood pounding, and–

Levi looks completely unperturbed, blinking slowly as he eyes Eren below him. His gaze is slightly hooded, enough so that Eren’s stomach twists itself into a knot.

He opens his mouth, ready to croak out a _What are you doing, Levi_ , when he realizes Levi won’t be able to answer him.

The lights dancing on the ceiling and in Levi’s eyes seem to magnify tenfold when Levi’s mouth opens, his own name - _“Eren”_ \- breathed out in the softest, sweetest voice he’s ever heard.

_Please don’t faint again_ , he pleads with himself.

But then Levi smiles, just the tiniest curl to the corners of his mouth like he knows he’s done something right, and– well, Eren can’t be blamed for being a goner.

A miracle, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cat Levi has always been near and dear to my heart, and so... that is why this exists. 
> 
> I posted the first part about a year ago on tumblr, so it might look familiar ahaha. This second part was written for my precious friend's birthday♥! (maybe there will be a part three next year) (...probably not)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	3. a game of cat and man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note: despite everything, levi is (still) a cat.
> 
> OK I SWORE there wouldn't be another part to this fic but!! here we are a year later, and it's my dear [myoue's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/myoue/pseuds/myoue) birthday again so... oops?

The next few days pass by in a blur.

If Eren isn't creeping around every corner looking for Levi, thinking about Levi, or attempting to show Levi something he'd just realized is extremely important (like using the toilet, or being able to get himself a glass of water), Eren is contemplating his own existence in general.

The only good thing about this– _occurrence_ , if that's what it should be called, is that Eren's currently on vacation for the holiday, and doesn't have to go back to work for a week. Still, the precious days are trickling away, and he has no idea what he's going to do once he's set to return to work.

He has no idea about a lot of things, unfortunately. Honestly, he's amazed he's still alive; it certainly wouldn't have surprised him if he'd died of a heart attack sometime during all of this. 

On the fourth day of his Levi-is-a-cat-but-also-somehow-a-human life, Eren decides to consider the idea of showering Levi.

"Impossible," he declares after approximately two seconds. There's literally no way, for all he is willing to do for Levi, this– it's just a step too far. From the cold sweat breaking on his brow, it's actually about twenty steps too far.

He rolls his shoulders in an effort to relax. Instead, his neck pops strangely, making him wince.

It's fine, he'll just– have to somehow explain to Levi how and what he should do. It should be fine? Yes, because cats just love water to begin with. He almost laughs but holds it in, unsure exactly how close he currently is to hysteria. Best not to risk any sudden outbursts.

Still, the fact remains, Levi's black hair is looking much darker as the days go by, and simply changing clothes isn't going to cut it. Eren has to bite the bullet.

Levi much prefers lounging around in Eren's robe, but luckily for Eren's probably-forming heart condition, he's managed to wrangle Levi into proper clothes a few times - 'proper' being one of Eren's slightly too large t-shirts and a pair of boxers, as Levi doesn't seem to like long sweatpants. Eren supposes he must be pretty warm most of the time, even though he's no longer a cat.

Except he _is_ , and yet he isn’t, and as used to Eren is getting to seeing human Levi, as much as he expects it now, he's unable to shake how wrong all of this is.

There's nothing he can do about it, however. For now, he has finished folding the laundry, and must attempt his next mission. He scoops the clean bathrobe from the basket, folding it haphazardly in his arms as he makes his way down the hallway. He pauses to watch Levi for a moment.

Currently he is sitting on one corner of the couch, the opposite of where Eren usually sits, looking at the television. The volume is turned low, though Levi doesn't seem to mind. On a random whim when he'd desperately needed to go out, just to run to the corner market, Eren had tried putting on the nature channel to keep Levi entertained. To his delight, it had worked; Levi's eyes had seemed to glow particularly bright as the wide shot of the trees suddenly focused in on a bird's nest in one of them.

Eren couldn't help a soft laugh, chest a little lighter as he'd slipped out the door. By the time he'd returned twenty minutes later, however, Eren had been in a state of panic, bursting through the door like a madman, practically tripping over his own feet as he'd rushed forward, leaving the door open in his haste.

"Levi!" he'd yelled, not waiting for a response. Once he'd caught sight of Levi sitting on the couch, turned to the side, now, toward the sound of Eren's voice, his heart had stopped trying to escape his chest. He'd let Levi rest his head in his lap again that night, let himself run his fingers through Levi's dark hair.

Should he have done that? Eren's so confused, he truly has no idea what he should and shouldn't be doing anymore. His first step should be realizing there's no way any of this is actually happening, but no matter how much he's pinched himself, he isn't snapping out of it.

Despite everything, he's trying his best to take care of Levi, like he'd promised, but Levi is certainly not a pet anymore, nor is he a child. He's just– he's _Levi_. Levi, whose presence has grown necessary to him, though yes, it had been as a cat. Still, Eren feels it, that tug in his chest.

He sighs, closing his eyes briefly. Is what he's doing right?

More importantly, how can he ask Levi if it is?

Levi has spoken two times after the initial _'Eren'_ incident, which he still can't properly think about without flushing from his head to his toes. It had only been simple, a few words here and there, still spoken softly, like someone just getting used to their voice, perhaps.

Eren hadn't even considered that Levi would be able to talk, though to be fair, he hadn't considered much at all with the way his head had been spinning that first day. He wonders how Levi's thoughts form for him in this different body, if it's overwhelming. Is it hard to grasp the words he wants to say, or is his quietness just a remnant of the way he'd acted as a cat?

Eren wants to ask him a million questions, but that wouldn't be right, either, would it?

He blinks his eyes open, shaking his head in irritation at himself. There's no point in going down this road again, he's been down it a hundred times already and no answer has come to him yet.

"Hey, Levi," he calls softly, taking a step forward.

Levi turns to look at Eren without hesitation, the nature program forgotten. Eren can't help a small smile.

"I want to show you something." He can practically see the gears turning in Levi's head, his eyes just as calculating as always; the last thing he'd attempted to show Levi had been folding laundry after he'd followed Eren into the bedroom, but he'd quickly lost interest. Eren lifts the robe in his arms slightly as a peace offering. "Afterward, you can put this on again."

Probably a cheap tactic, but Levi is clearly more open to what Eren has in mind. There's something endearing, something downright innocent in the way he trusts Eren, but there's a part of him that feels guilty as he watches Levi rise from the couch. Maybe he's earned that trust from cat Levi, but he feels like he still has to properly earn it from Levi now.

He intends to, whether anyone is keeping score or not.

"Let's go," Eren says cheerfully, leading the way to the bathroom. Levi moves as stealthily as when he'd been a cat, and Eren must make a conscious effort not to turn around to see if Levi is actually following after him. His heart rate steadily increases the closer they get, but he ignores it.

"Here we are," he announces unnecessarily. He steps aside so Levi can enter first.

Eren places the bundled robe on the counter nervously, barely resisting the urge to wipe a hand across his suddenly sweaty forehead. When he turns, Levi is standing in the middle of the room, gazing at him curiously.

Eren swallows.

There's no way this is going to end well.

–

Somehow, he gets through explaining the basics of a shower to Levi, though the world goes a little dark when Levi starts trying to remove his shirt while Eren's still talking. Without using actual words, just panicked sounds and hand motions, Eren luckily convinces him to stop. 

When he's nearly finished babbling, he silently thanks anyone and anything that Levi's instinct to clean by licking himself appears not to have carried over. If it had, Eren would, without a doubt, would be dead at this very moment.

After seeing Levi's hesitation once the shower head is turned on, Eren takes a step right into the shower, unthinking. Unfortunately, he is still fully clothed. He quickly works to turn his grimace into a bright smile as the water seeps through his pants.

"See, Levi? It's perfectly fine." He splashes some water onto his face. "It feels nice!"

He squints a little, trying to blink the water out of his eyes. It could just be his compromised vision, but Levi appears unimpressed.

After some more cajoling - this time standing on the bathroom tile, dripping pathetically - Eren leaves the room, closing the door over to give Levi some privacy. Levi certainly isn't worried about his decency, but Eren wouldn't feel right if he didn't at least try to preserve it.

Visions of all the bare skin Eren's already laid eyes on swim through his memory before he vigorously rubs at his eyelids, fighting the heat rising in his cheeks. There's no way he can think about something like that now, or ever, actually– he values his life, and thinking back on such things is incredibly dangerous.

Eren attempts to calm himself. The door is still slightly open, and he listens for a few moments for the sound of Levi actually getting into the shower. Eventually he hears a shift in the spray of the water, and is unable to stop a pleased smile.

He makes his way to his room, desperate to get out of these clothes. He almost trips as his brain traitorously supplies an unwanted image of Levi under the spray of the shower. As he rights himself, Eren wonders why he didn't just let himself fall forward to bang his head against the wall.

–

Some time later, Eren hears the water stop running. In turn, his eyes stop moving over the page he'd been reading, though, to be honest, he isn't sure he'd absorbed anything this whole time.

He forces himself to go into the kitchen, wandering aimlessly until he settles on getting a glass of water. A tentative sip turns into two large gulps that drain the glass, leaving Eren gasping for breath.

He can do this.

–

The sight of Levi sleeping in his - no, _Eren's_ \- loosely-tied bathrobe, hair damp and cheeks still rosy from the warmth of the shower, hands sweetly curled about Eren's pillow is almost enough to cause Eren to crush the glass he's -for some reason - still holding in his hand. He settles for closing his eyes and counting to ten.

He accidentally counts to eighty-three before regaining his senses and stumbling out of the room.

–

Eren's been sleeping on the couch whenever Levi dozes in his bed, which seems to be much more frequently than when Levi had been a cat. Being home these past few days might have something to do with Eren noticing this fact, however.

He's sprawled awkwardly across the couch, staring at the ceiling. Sleep is evading him tonight, and he doesn't know why.

Well, that's a blatant lie. There's a very big reason, one in the shape of a human, who previously used to be a small cat that could fit in Eren's lap.

Why, why does he have to be caught in this spiral of madness? His life had been so normal and uneventful, just how he'd liked it, and now–

Eren nearly jumps at the soft creak of the floorboard. He slowly tilts his head, gazing up at Levi, clad in the robe. His throat grows tight. This angle is wrong, all wrong–

Why hadn't he just thrown the robe in the trash at this point? More importantly, why does Levi have to like wearing the damn thing so much? Eren can't possibly throw it away knowing that. He's just as much a pushover now as he's ever been, when it comes to Levi.

Eren tries not to melt into the cushions as Levi asks, in a voice softened with sleep, when he can have another shower. Contentment rolls off of him in waves, matching the way Eren's robe nearly rolls off of his shoulders.

Eren lets out a strangled sound, gripping the arm of the couch.

Levi waits patiently for an answer, nose crinkling a little as a yawn almost overtakes him.

"Never," Eren croaks.

Levi tilts his head, eyebrows drawn together. Eren's heart pangs.

Okay, maybe that had been a bit drastic.

"I- I mean, I don't know." He wants to sit up properly, but his limbs still feel rather weak. "We'll see," he adds.

Part of him yearns to say _right now, of course_ and lead Levi back to his new love, the shower, but something like every other day seems like a better option. Both for Levi’s cleanliness and Eren's water bill, but most importantly, for Eren's sanity - which, to be fair, is already long lost.

–

After all the excitement - and by excitement, he means yet another near death experience - Eren ends up making a cup of tea and sitting at the kitchen table. If he tilts his head to the side a bit, he can see Levi lounging on the couch. He makes a mental note to buy a longer robe that will cover more of Levi's legs, not that he was looking.

He fishes his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through the unanswered texts guiltily. His friends probably think he's an asshole, either that or he's been murdered; they're probably leaning toward the asshole part, as the police haven't shown up knocking down his door yet.

He shoves his phone back in his pocket with a heavy sigh. He'll explain himself, eventually - and by explain himself, he means come up with a seamless, carefully crafted lie that no one will ever question - and everything will be hunky-dory.

If one thing hasn’t changed during all of this, it's that Eren's still bad at lying to himself. He closes his eyes and runs his hands along his face. It's well after midnight, and he dearly needs some sleep.

He stops by the side of the couch for a moment to watch Levi dozing. The brightness of the television shines a bit of light on his features.

A small smile curls at his lips. How can anyone nap so much, even if they're a cat?

Before he knows it, he's carding his fingers gently through Levi's hair. Something tender curls in his chest, and for a moment instead of questioning it, Eren lets himself embrace it.

Just for a moment.

–

Eren doesn't know how long he'd been asleep, but the dip of the mattress beside him has his eyelids snapping open before he's even sure whether he's dreaming or not.

The careful movements cease, the sound of even breathing all that's left. Eren's heartbeat pounds in his ears.

How much more is Eren meant to deal with? He's honestly only hanging on by a thread here, Levi sleeping in his bed with him is just–

Levi doesn't know, it's not his fault, so how can Eren–

Eren's fingers curl in the sheets, eyes scrunched shut. Why does it have to be wrong for Levi to want to sleep beside him, to find comfort in it? Why can't Eren feel the same?

Gently, Eren rolls to his back, blinking a few times in the darkness to assess the situation. Levi is on his side, his preferred position, facing Eren. Thankfully the robe is still secured around his body, letting Eren breathe almost normally again. After another moment's hesitation, Eren shifts to his side, now facing Levi.

He's been trying to stop treating Levi like a cat, but he has no idea how Levi feels about it. Does he miss the physical affection? Eren's fingers twitch at his side.

It's so stupid, but–

Eren misses it, knows deep down that Levi must, too. He can see the way Levi perks up sometimes, like he's expecting something when Eren approaches, sits beside him, and– he holds himself back.

And why is that? Because it's wrong? Who can say anything about any of this, really? It's not like Eren had asked for it, not like he knows what the rules are, if there are any.

He lifts his hand, brings it to Levi's face. His heart thunders in his chest as he lets his hand simply lie there, cradling Levi's cheek.

The universe doesn't come crashing down around them. In fact, it feels right. Eren's nowhere close to figuring any of this out, but this, being able to be close to Levi without mentally chastising himself, feels right.

So lost he is in his own thoughts, his own contentment, Eren only belatedly realizes Levi's eyes are now open. Are they glittering, or is Eren just imagining it? He gazes silently at Eren, unmoving.

Eren considers pulling his hand back, telling Levi to go back to sleep. He doesn't. 

"Sorry if I woke you," he whispers. He feels silly immediately after the words leave his mouth.

As if on cue, Levi yawns, eyes crinkling shut. Eren laughs gently, shifting his hand to pat at Levi's hair. A gradual, familiar rumble builds from Levi, makes Eren's ears darken, pleased.

Levi's eyes crack open halfway, his gaze lazy yet somehow also urging Eren to keep petting away. Eren does, a small smile curling at his lips.

"You can tell me if you want some affection," he murmurs, swirling Levi's hair between his fingers, brushing an ear. He doesn't expect a reply, but Levi seems to shift further into his touch. Eren's heart squeezes.

Has anyone had a delusion that's lasted this long? Probably, he should look it up online sometime soon, along with ways to knock yourself out of it, back into reality. But for now, with this not-cat-but-quite-human Levi before him, content beneath his hand, it's hard to believe this is something he could wake up from.

He licks his lips, mouth a little dry. "Hey, Levi." 

He doesn't know why he's doing this; he's not going to receive an answer. Still, he yearns to know, has longed to for a long time, now, before any of the craziness over the last few days had ever happened. 

"Are you happy here? With me?"

It's dumb, the way he holds his breath, fingers stilled in Levi's hair. He lets his hand slip away, to the pillow between them. Honestly, what is he expecting?

Levi blinks once, twice, the comforting vibration quieting a bit. It's just as disappointing hearing it fade now as when Levi had been a cat.

Eren lies still, waiting for something, though he doesn't know what.

In slow motion, Levi's hand slides up, fingers gliding over Eren's. The light, barely there touch turns more solid, the press of his palm warming more than just Eren's hand.

Eren's fingers twitch, his heart desperately trying to escape the confines of his body as he watches Levi's lips just barely part, hears the gentlest rumble in his answer.

One word, a simple _"Yes"_ , and Eren feels like he could nearly burst - not just his chest, but all of him, and if he fainted now he wouldn't even mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it!!! This is really, truly the end okay!!! (you can tell it's the end because Eren didn't faint this time) (...or did he) (guess we'll find out next year)


End file.
